After years of juggling laptops with names such as the Vaio S, Vaio Z, and Vaio E, Sony is starting to simplify its lineup with the newly announced Vaio Fit line.

The Fit laptops appear to be Sony's new mainstream line, and the company says they are for "students and business users who are looking for a step up and want more of a premium design but still at an entry-level price point."

In person, the Vaio Fit 14 (reviewed here) looks very upscale for an inexpensive laptop, and it starts at $649. That includes an aluminum body, a touch screen, and a display resolution of 1,600x900 pixels, which is a nice step up from the budget/midprice standard of 1,366x768. Adding an NFC chip for device communication is also a surprising high-end extra.

A 15-inch version of the Vaio Fit trades up to a full 1080p display for $699, while a less-expensive offshoot, called the Fit E, keeps the 1,600x900 resolution, but drops the price to $549 and $579 for the 14- and 15-inch models, respectively (a lower-res 1,366x768 model is now not coming out in the US). Yes, this may be an example of simplifying your product lineup, and then immediately making it more complicated again.

Some existing Vaio laptops are getting updates. These include the L-series all-in-one, with Sony's Bravia Engine X-Reality chip, which now includes larger hard-drive options up to 3TB; the 15-inch T-series ultrabook; and the all-in-one/tabletop tablet Tap 20, which now includes Intel WiDi for beaming a video signal to a TV via a sold-separately receiver box and Sony Imagination Studio multimedia software.

The Vaio Fit 14 and 15, Fit E 14 and 15, and refreshed Vaio L, Tap 20, and T15 will all be available mid-May.

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Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of laptops, desktops, and Windows tablets, while also writing about games, gadgets, and other topics. A former radio DJ and member of Mensa, he's written about music and technology for more than 15 years, appearing in publications including Spin, Blender, and Men's Journal.
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